Seismic wave propagation is influenced by any discontinuity in the mechanical
properties of the propagation medium such as alluvial basins, fault zones and
cavities. There are several interesting results in the literature concerning both the 3D
and the 2D simplified cases. Many of the currently available results refer to the wave
propagation in a vertical section of the 3D domain. On the contrary just few works
account for the
shape effects of the geological structures on a horizontal slice of the
earth surface or on the surface itself, where the earthquake has a devastating effect
on buildings and infrastructures. Therefore, in this paper we delve into the
impact of a curved interface on wave propagation within a horizontal plane,
revealing its role akin to an optical diopter, either focusing or defocusing seismic
energy.
Keywords
seismic wave propagation, shape effects, curvature effects,
finite difference method, spectral element method, boundary
element method